Recently, the news has been terrifying.

I’m young, and I don’t claim to understand everything in the news. Most politics are beyond me.

I’m also not about to pretend that I am expert, or that I know better than the experts.

But I feel like if I can have a conversation about it, I can blog about it. Right? That’s what blogging is about, just letting you know my feelings on every subject. Isn’t that fun?

One thing that most obviously stood out to me, and shocked me, was the Charleston shooting. I’m sure it shocked most people around the world.

It couldn’t have been random. It was a hate-filled act. I would know- I’m Jewish. We are the target of thousands of hateful acts for no reason.

My heart goes out to those who were subjected to terror and violence for one reason- and that being the color of their skin. Skin. Skin is just the packaging of our insides, it’s so insignificant. The insides are what count. Dylann Roof is not a better person because his skin is white. It’s what his insides are like that makes him who he is. An evil person. It sickens me that the world focuses so desperately on something so trivial.

People sometimes look at me weird when I speak like this. It’s too scary. It’s too challenging to the way they see the world. To them it is, literally, black and white.

It makes me sad.

Aren’t we better than this?

Aren’t we better than white policemen and black victims?

Aren’t our history books full enough of violent stories? Do we really have to write more?

As a person, I am oftentimes disappointed in people. It doesn’t matter what color. Humans make mistakes. It’s not the color they are that causes them to make those mistakes. It’s who they are. That’s like tasting one red candy that you didn’t like, and then disliking the color red for life. Can you hear the stupidity?

I know I’m not the first to say these words. I know I’m not the first to be sickened by the ways of the world and the way that people treat each other. But why not add another voice? As long as it’s a voice that does not promote hate and violence, I think it’s important.

This summer, I’ll be a head counselor in a Jewish day camp.

As we plan activities and think about the things we will teach them, we focus on looking at things in a positive light. We face the world with a mission to make it a better place, rather than add negativity.

I look forward to a summer in which my focus is “How do we make a single child’s world brighter?”

Because that is the best way to spend your time. As soon as you change one persons life for the best, you get inspired to continue. That is what the world needs. There are 7 billion people inhabiting this earth.

Imagine how very good this earth can be if we just turn all our hate into love.